“10 Steps to the Perfect Pitch!”

How to work a Shark Tank shark into a FRENZY to fund your deal!

Dear Potential Millionaire:

Hi there. This is Kevin Harrington. I’ve been called the “King of the Infomercial” since I practically invented the concept back in the late 1980’s. But by reading this report, you probably know me better as one of the original “Sharks” on the ABC mega-hit show “Shark Tank.”

I’ve been pitched on about 50,000 potential deals. I’ve actually funded around 500 of those products, or about 1% of the total pitches. And just that one percent of funded products has generated over $4 billion in sales!

And that’s about the same number of potential deals trying to get the current Shark Tank Sharks’ attention... 50,000 a year.

Obviously, your chances of getting on the show are pretty slim... especially if you’re not fully prepared – locked and loaded with the answers to any questions the Sharks will throw at you.

But there are a handful of strategies that will catapult your chances of getting your deal funded into the stratosphere. In fact, if you nail all ten of these “insider secret” strategies of Shark Persuasion, and your product or service is truly good, your success for getting funding is all but guaranteed.

So... do you want to discover how to kick-start your product, deal or idea into the “1% Club?”

The multi-millionaire-making answers are below, in what I call the “10 Steps to the Perfect Pitch”...

But first, a little warm-up...

The Perfect Pitch really is necessary to get any interest whatsoever from a Shark. You really need to be at the top of your game.

And even then... the Perfect Pitch is only the beginning. It’s the First Step that opens the door to the possibility of getting your deal funded. Even with the Perfect Pitch, there is no guarantee of you leaving the meeting with cash in hand (or soon to be in your bank account).

So let’s start at the beginning...
Your Perfect Pitch always starts with one thing in mind...

What Do You Want Your Pitch To Do?

Obviously, it’s to convince a Shark to partner with you on a deal. But remember, contrary to some folks’ opinions... Sharks are humans too!

That means you not only have to be totally prepared with all your metrics and other business- related matters, but your Perfect Pitch must be loaded with real-world, bona-fide benefits of the product or service you’re pitching as well.

Your Perfect Pitch must have three basic elements (I’ll go into more detail later, but let’s start here for now)...

Get in the door

What to say and how to say it

Documentation

Those three items are definitely the “Big Three” that must be present and accounted for in each and every presentation. Granted, this is at a high level, but keep these elements in mind as you study the 10 Steps below.

Now before we do a “deep-dive” into the 10 Steps, here’s a quick, easy-to-remember mantra to keep in mind at all times. Your Perfect Pitch will have to take care of these three basic activities...

Tease

Please

Seize

The initial “Tease” step contains “The Hook” – where you “plant the seed” of interest in your deal. You reveal the problem your product or service solves, or present the Big Idea of why your product or service is the best thing since sliced bread.

In the next “Please” activity, you demonstrate how your product or service will totally solve the problem revealed in the “Tease” step... preferably in the most efficient, elegant or cost- effective manner – better than any other product or service in the marketplace.

Finally, in the “Seize” phase, you “go for the kill” – you ask for the order or, in this case, the funding you want from the Shark.

Every successful deal done with the Sharks (including myself) has had these three phases, bar none.

OK, now let’s drill down into the heart of this report... the 10 Steps to the Perfect Pitch.

Here they are...

The “Tease”
As I stated above, the “Tease” step is where you “set the hook”, planting the seed to get the Shark’s attention in the first place. You reveal and demonstrate the problem as graphically as you can – a little showmanship is valuable here. You also want to set the pace for the rest of your presentation.

The “Please”
Also as stated above, the “Please” step is where you demonstrate how your product or service will completely solve the problem presented in the “Tease” step, preferably in the most efficient, elegant or cost-effective manner, and better than any other solution in the marketplace. You should cover as many features and benefits of your product as possible. In fact, if you can successfully demonstrate a “magical transformation” – a huge “WOW” factor of your product - then you could be off to the races.

Demonstration / Multi-functionality
Is your product demonstrable? If so, pour it on here. A powerful demonstration is one – if not THE - key to a successful presentation, and should be practiced until you can do it in your sleep. Multi-functionality of your product will give you massive bonus points as well. So if your product serves several functions, be sure to showcase each one of them.

But Wait... There’s More!
If you’ve watched any well-done infomercial or other professional sales pitch, you’ve probably heard the expression “But wait... there’s more!” dozens and dozens of times. Well, there’s a reason for that. Just think about it. At some point in your presentation, you’ve covered and demonstrated a mountain of evidence and proof in the form of features and benefits your product demonstrates. If you’ve presented properly, you’ve already at least half-way convinced your Shark (or whoever is hopefully funding your deal) that your product or service is simply a “no-brainer” to fund and make a million bucks with it.But then... in effect... you come out with “But wait... there’s more!” and then proceed to explain even more benefits or reasons why the Shark would be a fool not to go in with you on your deal! Hey, it works in infomercials, and it will work in Shark Tank-like presentations as well.

Testimonials
I can’t think of anything that could better provide “social proof” that your product or service does what it says it does other than third-party testimonials. After all, you can sing the praises of your own product until you’re blue in the face, provide rock- solid proof via demonstration that your product is the best thing since sliced bread, or what have you, but there’s still a chance your Shark will not believe you.Enter testimonials. Powerful third-party testimonials could be “just what the doctor ordered” to sway a reluctant Shark totally over to your side.So what type of testimonials should you try to get and make part of your Perfect Pitch? Here are my favorites:

Consumer: These “testies” are from actual users or consumers of your product or service. And they are some of the most persuasive. This is not just you singing the praises of your product, but actual users of your product or service who have experienced beneficial results, and are happy to talk about them.

Professional: Also very powerful, endorsements from leading professionals in your industry on the efficacy of your product or service can be highly persuasive.

Editorial: If you can cite articles or expert quotes from medical journals, trade publications, prestigious magazines and newspapers, etc. backing up the ideas behind your product or service, then that can help your case as well.

Celebrity: Let’s face it. Everyone loves celebrities. And even though they may have never used your product or service, or even know who you are... celebrities cause sales to happen. Very powerful.

Documented: Finally, any documentation you can present that comes from a legitimate, highly-respected product testing lab – facts, figures and other data that support the claims you’re making about your product or service – can put you in good stead with your Shark.

Testimonials are indeed highly persuasive tools that can easily make your Perfect Pitch irresistible. Use them wisely and often in your presentation.

Research and Competitive Analysis
Any self-respecting Shark will want to see that you’ve done your research... on your product or service itself, its industry, your target market (size, demographics, psychographics, etc.), your competition, etc. The more data – facts, figures, and statistics - you can present in your Perfect Pitch, the better.Sharks will also want to understand the complete background of your product or service – how it came to be, what made you decide to go “all in” on your ideas, how much are you personally involved (both financially and psychologically) and so forth. They will also want to know without a doubt why your product or service is unique... and how it alone solves a particular problem better than any other solution in the current marketplace.

Your Team
This step is where lots of would-be entrepreneurs seeking Shark Tank-style funding drop the ball and lose the joint venture deal. A Shark is not interested in “small ball” deals. He or she is looking way ahead to forecast how your product or service can scale into millions of dollars of sales and revenue.Therefore, you must have your team in place... or at least thought about... well before making your Perfect Pitch. Your team consists of a board of directors and/or advisers that can help you scale your business into the stratosphere if need be. You need to tell the Shark how you are going to cover operations, shipping, customer support, legal issues, accounting... basically any function that will be needed in case your product or service explodes in the marketplace.Listen, every business must be prepared for the worst, and have an action plan if things go south – the economy tanks, a huge competitor comes in and tries to take out your business, etc.But you also must be prepared for the best case scenario – what if your business takes the market by storm? You could be faced with either massive growth... or bankruptcy if you’re not prepared.
A well-defined Adviser and Operations Team must be either planned or in place to take care of either one of these scenarios. So be prepared for that situation in your Perfect Pitch.

Why do you need the money?
This step is fairly self-explanatory. A Shark will want to know how you are going to use the proceeds if advanced to you. Why are you raising capital? Is it to expand operations? Invest in more inventory? Hire staff to build the business? Buy new operations machinery? All of the above?Sharks just need to know where their money will be going and to make sure it’s used wisely. And also that there’s a concrete plan to pay it back!

Marketing Plan
This is another crucial step that lots of entrepreneurs forget about, or don’t do a good job preparing. A marketing plan goes along with a Shark’s desire to see how his or her money will be utilized. How are you going to get the word out about your product or service out to your marketplace? How are you going to generate “buzz”? What’s your plan for distributing your product or service to the world? A Shark will need a full understanding of how that will work.One caveat here... a marketing plan is vastly different from a business plan. Most Sharks think a typical business plan... with (usually overly-rosy) projections for the next five years or longer... is not worth the paper it’s printed on.Remember... Sharks are real-world entrepreneurs themselves. They know that events in any marketplace can change at any minute, much less in the next five years or more! So they are much more interested in how you plan to market your product or service than in any ivory tower growth and revenue projections that are mostly PFA - Pulled From Air. So plan accordingly in preparing your Perfect Pitch.

Get the money!
OK, at this point it’s time for the “kill.” You’ve presented your case like the highest- paid lawyer on Wall Street. You’ve removed all doubts that any sane Shark might have at this point about funding your deal. If you’re on Shark Tank, at least one of the Sharks is foaming at the mouth to partner with you on your deal.So now it’s time for the “Seize” phase of your Perfect Pitch – ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT! Present the final Call to Action that... once presented... should have Sharks fighting tooth and nail over your deal.And... CONGRATULATIONS! Your Perfect Pitch proved to be a HUGE SUCCESS... and you could be on your way to sure “millionairedom.”

BONUS SECRET!

I almost decided against including this Bonus Secret in this report. That’s because it’s so powerful and persuasive, it could virtually seal your deal with a Shark, no further questions asked. It could blow away any of your competition vying for the Shark’s attention... and funding. You would position yourself head and shoulders above any other candidate.

So if you want to get a Shark worked up into even a DEEPER frenzy to fund your deal, here’s what to do...

Add an “accelerated payback” option to your proposal.

What’s an “accelerated payback”? It means basically what it sounds like – an even faster

way than “usual” for a Shark to get his or her money back after funding your deal.

Look, Sharks often listen to thousands of pitches a year (I KNOW I do!). You really need something different... something really personally valuable to your Shark... something to “smack them upside the head” and whet their interest (and “greed glands”) into funding your deal.

The accelerated payback will do exactly that.

If you watch “Shark Tank”, you’ll see most of the contestants making the same lame mistake over and over again. They will simply offer the Sharks a percentage stake in their company for a set amount of funds... say a 10% equity stake in their company for $200,000.

But here’s the deal...

You Can’t Spend Equity!

So the Shark has to hope that... with his or her help... the funded company will generate huge revenues that the Shark can then get a piece of... in this case, 10%.

But what if the company doesn’t generate those revenues, even with the Shark’s expertise and assistance? (Hey, it DOES happen from time to time!)

In this case, the Shark is always the last one to get paid. So while the company owner(s) and employees are drawing salaries, bonuses, etc. and living just fine, the Shark is left out in the cold if the company is not generating revenues above and beyond the expenses.

In this case, if the company never makes any revenues, the Shark may have to wait until the company is sold or liquidated to get any worthwhile money back at all.

Obviously, this is not a good position for a Shark to be in. In fact, Sharks detest this position!

And that’s why you’ll see Kevin O’Leary often counter-offer with something like this: “I’ll give you your $200,000, but I want one dollar for every unit sold until I get my money back, and THEN I get the 10% equity as a kicker!”

That’s a great example of accelerated payback. Sharks LOVE it!

So if you really want to impress a Shark, make an accelerated payback option part of your pitch up front... you may actually shock a Shark into doing your deal!

So that’s it!

Those are your “10 Steps to the Perfect Pitch!” (plus the ultra-valuable Bonus Secret that in and of itself could make you a millionaire) to get your deal funded on Shark Tank, by me, or with any savvy venture capitalist.

Using these “insider secrets” correctly, you will now have a realistic shot at being the next lucky contestant on Shark Tank, with the extreme excitement of presenting your idea not only to the five billionaire Sharks, but also to the millions of die-hard fans watching the show.

Because here’s another little “insider secret”...

Even though every single Shark may not buy into a Shark Tank contestant’s dream on the TV show... there could be hundreds... if not thousands... of well-heeled, well-connected investors watching the show who might be interested.

I’m probably not supposed to be telling you this, but dozens and dozens of deals have transpired “off-camera” when the Shark Tank contestants arrived back home to find hundreds of emails and voicemail messages from “mini-Sharks” interested in investing in the intrepid entrepreneur’s businesses.

I bet that has happened to you if you’re a Shark Tank fan. You see a deal that looks so good to you, that you just can’t believe at least one Shark didn’t go in on it!

Well, trust me... that’s happening to thousands of other watchers as well. And some of them take action... they contact the disappointed Shark Tank contestant and offer them a deal of their own. And the Shark Tank contestant gets their deal funded after all!

In fact, this situation has happened so often, I saw a golden opportunity...

Why not capitalize on the astonishing success of the Shark Tank TV show, and create a “Shark Tank-like” business of my own? Not another show on TV that would have to compete with Shark Tank, but a website instead.

What if I could create a “portal” on the Internet... a “virtual” meeting-place if you will... of would-be entrepreneurs connected with those well-heeled investors (or even “mom and pop” investors who can only afford a smaller piece of the action)?

Similar to Shark Tank, the goal would be to present new entrepreneurial ideas, inventions, products and services to these hundreds of would-be investors who might want to finance the entrepreneur’s dreams for a piece of the action?

After thinking about it for a while (well, about five minutes), I decided to take action.

Thus, the Angel Investor’s Network was born.

Angel Investors Network (AIN) was created by a group of successful entrepreneurs, investment bankers, angel investors, marketing and management experts, lawyers, and accountants who have built companies in a diverse set of industries.

AIN offers investors an opportunity to participate in the buying and selling of businesses, making equity investments, and providing debt financing to businesses with the opportunity of less risk and faster returns than typical Angel Investments because of our unique approach.

AIN also works with investors, marketing strategists, management experts and financial gurus who combine their skill and experience to work with our target investments and make them highly successful businesses.

We are more than just Angel Investors. We are Business Marketing Consultants.

We invest our time, expertise, and money in exchange for equity with the objective to explode growth and sell the companies for far more than the current worth.

To get all the exciting details on the Angel Investor’s Network, and to see how you can get involved, either as an entrepreneur, angel investor, or both... head over to this web page:

You now have the “Keys to the Kingdom” – the real-world, insider secrets of what it takes to be successful on Shark Tank, or how to get your deal funded with any angel investor or venture capitalist.

Listen, there is no time like the present to become an overnight millionaire. With the advent of shows like Shark Tank, the Internet in general, and the freedoms we have in America, there’s just no excuse for any entrepreneur not to just “go for it” – to finally take action to achieve your lifelong dreams... to create total financial security and peace of mind for yourself and loved ones... to fund a rich, worry-free retirement... living where you want... spending quality time with whoever you want... whenever you desire.

Kevin Harrington – Inventor of the Infomercial, Original Shark on Shark Tank and As Seen on TV Pioneer – is one of the most successful entrepreneurs of our time.

In 1980 Harrington started The Small Business Center and Franchise America. Kevin, as a real estate and business broker, sold thousands of businesses and then offered one stop services from accounting to insurance to advertising to finance and more.

While watching television one night in 1984, Harrington noticed that sometimes the only thing on the screen were the color test bars that stations ran when they had nothing else to air, thus giving Kevin the idea to produce the industry’s first 30-minute infomercial to fill that dead air space, which is what coined him the Inventor of the Infomercial.

Since then, he has been involved with over 500 product launches that resulted in sales of over $4 billion dollars worldwide and 20 products that reached individual sales of over $100 million. By 1990, Harrington was named one of the 100 best entrepreneurs in the world (by Entrepreneur Magazine).

In the mid- 80’s he formed Quantum International which grew to $500 million in sales selling products in 100 countries in 20 languages. He then formed HSN direct in conjunction with Home Shopping Network and soon after formed Reliant International Media. Kevin also founded As Seen on TV, Inc. and acquired AsSeenOnTV.com, the world’s largest web site featuring as seen on TV products.

In 2009, Kevin was selected as one of the original ‘Shark Tank’ Sharks on the ABC hit show. As an innovator and pioneer in the industry, Kevin has been featured on over 150 Shark Tank segments over the last five years on both ABC and CNBC.

Kevin is regularly featured as an industry expert in numerous media outlets including the NBC Today Show, ABC Good Morning America, CBS Morning News, The View, the Wendy Williams Show, CNBC, Squawk Box with Jim Kramer, the Bethenny Show, Bloomberg, Fox Business, CNN, MTV, Entrepreneur Magazine, Fast Company, Fortune, Inc., Wall Street Journal, New York Times and many more.He went on and founded two global associations – ERA (Electronic Retailers Association), which is now in 45 countries and Young Entrepreneur’s Association (now EO – Entrepreneurs Organization) which boasts combined member sales of over $500 billion dollars.

Harrington is on the board of University of South Florida (USF) entrepreneur programs, and teaches regularly. He has also been involved with Moffit Cancer Research, and is constantly giving back to the community. Harrington’s recent book, “Act Now: How I Turn Ideas Into Million-Dollar Products,” details his life and achievements in the direct marketing world, and his business was used as a class case study for 12 years at Harvard/MIT, illustrating the essential principles of grass-roots entrepreneurship.